Filling furnishing mechanism



Oct. 25, 1966 R. H. BROWN, JR.. ET 0,

FILLING FURNISHING MECHANISM Filed March 18, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS RALPH H. BQOW JR.

QANDELL FSAM PLJi Mwr QMWL A T TORNE Y R. H. BROWN, JR., ET AL 3,280,853

Oct. 25, 1966 FILLING FURNISHING MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 18, 1964 5 INVENTORS' FQALIDH H. BROWNQTIZ RANDELLFsAh/IPLE A TTORNEY United States Patent 3,280,853 FILLHVG FURNISHING MECHANISM Ralph H. Brown, .Ir., Ashland, and Randell F. Sample, Hopedale, Mass., assignors to Draper Corporation, Hopedale, Mass, a corporation of Maine Filed Mar. 18, 1964, Ser. No. 352,869 4 Claims. (Cl. 139122) This invention pertains to an improved means for furnishing filling yarn to the carrier of a shuttleless loom, that is, a loom of the type in which the filling is supplied from a source outside of the shuttle or filling inserting means itself.

It is a general object of the invention to provide a filling furnishing device for controlling the filling yarn on a loom at a point intermediate the source of supply and the filling pick up point of the inserting carrier member.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a filling furnishing mechanism which is effective in providing an even and substantially continuous withdrawal of the filling yarn from its source of supply.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following more detailed dis closure.

Shuttleless looms which employ reciprocating carriers one of which projects a double length of filling approximately halfway through a shed and the other of which receives that filling and draws the loose end thereof through the remainder of the shed, utilize a supply of filling yarn which is drawn from a source outside of the shuttle or the filling carrier members themselves.

Prior to the instant invention the filling yarn, as it was withdrawn from its source of supply, was directed to and through the known forms of tensioning, binder and cutter mechanisms, to a point where it was picked up by the inserting carrier member to be projected into the shed formed by warp threads. This method of withdrawing and presenting the filling yarn for insertion functioned satisfactorily, but left a great deal to be desired with regard to the ease and smoothness with which said filling yarn was wthdrawn from its package.

The filling being inserted in the form of a loop necessitates an intermittent withdrawal thereof from its source of supply, and to withdraw a sufiicient amount for a given pick, very rapid acceleration and a high velocity of withdrawal speed are required. This intermittent and rapid manner of withdrawing filling from a supply cone has been the source of serious filling yarn breakage complaints which until the introduction of the instant invention has not been corrected to any degree of success.

The mechanism according to the instant invention provides a means whereby the filling yarn is withdrawn from its source of supply at an even and substantially continuous rate of speed.

The mechanism includes a continuously rotating filling storage cone disposed intermediate the supply of filling and that point where it is picked up by the inserting carrier and projected into the warp shed. The filling yarn is directed through a pivotable thread guide which is adapted to function in close proximity with the storage cone. As the carrier member is being withdrawn from the warp shed the pivotable thread guide is timed to pivot toward the small end of the storage cone which picks up the yarn causing a portion of the next pick to be wrapped thereon. When the carrier again picks up the filling and starts into the shed, the thread guide pivots away from the storage cone allowing the carrier to first Withdraw the amount of filling wrapped on said storage cone and'to complete the pick by withdrawing the remainder of the required filling directly from its source of supply. Approximately tWo-thirds of each pick is wrapped on the storage cone and the remaining one-third drawn directly from the supply cone. As the carrier starts to withdraw from the shed, the thread guide again pivots toward the small end of the storage cone to initiate the next cycle.

The novel means for withdrawing the filling from the supply cone eliminates the restriction regarding the amount of yarn that would normally have to be pulled off of the supply cone for a given size of loom. Additionally, the even and substantially continuous manner of withdrawing the filling from its source of supply has corrected the cause of filling yarn breakage due to the intermittent and rapid manner of withdrawal utilized prior to the instant invention, as well as the shelling oif of excessive amounts of filling that are carried into the sheds and then beat in to the fabric.

The mechanism according to the invention will be described in detail by reference to a specific embodiment thereof illustrated in the accompanying figures of drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view taken at the right-hand end of the loom and from the front thereof showing the filling furnishing mechanism according to the invention applied thereto;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1 but showing the pivotable thread guide which forms a functional part of the invention in a position opposite of that depicted in FIG. 1 and almost fully extended; and

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the filling storage cone as seen looking along line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

As the general construction and operation of this type of loom is well known and familiar to those skilled in the art, and as the invention is entirely concerned with the filling furnishing mechanism, it is only considered necessary here to illustrate and describe those parts of a loom directly concerned with a preferred form of the present invention.

Certain United States patents illustrate and describe the type of shuttleless looms to which the instant invention is applicable and for a more detailed description of such looms attention is hereby directed to US. Patents Nos. 2,604,123; 2,641,285; and 2,654,399.

Now referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, part of a shuttleless loom is illustrated including a loomside 10 and a lay beam 11 which is caused to be swung to and fro in a known manner. A tape guide 12 is fixedly attached to the loomside and serves to guide the filling inserting carrier 13 as the latter is inserted into the warp sheds and withdrawn therefrom. Carrier 13 is suitably attached to the free end of a flexible tape member (not shown) which during loom operation is caused to be wrapped about and unwrapped from an oscillating tape wheel (not shown) which serves as a means for projecting the carrier 13 into the shed and to withdraw the same therefrom. This tape wheel is housed and journaled in a casing 14, and being disposed at the side of the m, it is adapted to function in timed sequence with the movement of the lay beam 11.

A filling control housing 15 having a plurality of cam members generally indicated by numeral 16 is supported by the forward and upper surface of the loom frame as at 17 (FIG. 1). The usual type of friction device is utilized and includes a mounting bracket 18 one end of which is attached to the side of the filling control housing by means of cap screws 19 and 20. Extending rearwardly, the opposite end of the mounting bracket 18 supports a friction plate bracket 21 on which a pair of vertically disposed spring biased friction plates 22 and 23 is assembled and which serves to keep the filling yarn 24 under tension as it is caused to pass therebetween.

A top motion support bracket 25 assembles on the upper surface of the loomside 10 at a point intermediate the front and rearward ends thereof, and extending upwardly therefrom, its upper surface supports the usual sheave members (not shown) that assist in the shedding of the harness frames 26. Above the tape guide 12 and at a height very close to the path the filling yarn 24 is caused to travel as it is withdrawn from the supply cone 27, the top motion support bracket 25 is adapted to support the major components of the mechanism comprising the instant invention.

The components include a substantially U-shapecl support member generally indicated by numeral 28 having an inner surface which conforms to the configuration of the support bracket 25. This U-shaped member 28 attaches by any suitable means to the inner side of the support bracket 25 with the rear leg portion 29 thereof traversing and extending outwardly beyond said support bracket 25. The leg portion 29 terminates in the form of a clamping hub 30 and is adapted to support a horizontally disposed and forwardly directed cone shaft 31 (FIG. 3). A castellated filling storage cone generally indicated by numeral 32 is rotatably assembled, through utilization of .antifriction bearings 33 and 34, on the cone shaft 31. This storage cone is provided adjacent the base portion thereof with an integrally formed pulley 35 which is interconnected with any suitable form of continuous driving means by a driving belt 36. The opposite end of the storage cone is provided with a plurality of equally spaced castellations or circumferentially spaced projections 37, the purpose of which will be fully described hereinafter.

The forward leg portion 38 of the support member 28 is bifurcated and extends from the inner forward side of the support bracket 25 across a substantial portion of the front surface of said bracket.

A pivotable thread guide generally indicated by numeral 39 in the form of a double armed lever assembles between the bifurcated portion of the forward leg 38 by means of a pin 40 the ends of which are seated in aligned apertures provided in said bifurcated portion with the remaining portion of said pin passing through the hub 41 of said thread guide. A first arm 42 extending from the hub 41 supports at its free end a downwardly directed guide plate 43 having a centrally disposed grommet 44 through which the filling thread 24 is caused to pass. The guide plate 43 is movable toward and away from the castellated end of the storage cone 32 by means of actuating linkage being pivotally attached to a second arm 45 extending from hub 41 in a direction nearly opposite that of the first arm 42. This actuating linkage includes a horizontally disposed connecting link 46 one end of which is pivotally attached to the second arm 45 of the thread guide 39, and extending toward the front of the loom, the opposite end thereof is fixedly attached to the inner end of a cam follower member generally indicated by numeral 47 as at 48. The shank portion 49 of the cam follower member is supported and guided for reciprocating movement in a guide block 50 that is suitably attached to the upper and inner surface of the filling control housing 15. The forward end of the cam follower is bifurcated as at 51 and is provided within the bifurcated portion with a cam follower roll 52. This roll is rotatably assembled within the bifurcated portion 51 by means of a pin 53 the ends of which are assembled in aligned apertures provided in said bifurcated portion with the remainder of said pin passing through a centrally disposed hole in said roll.

A rotatable cam 54 carried by and supported in the filling control housing 15 is effective in causing the cam follower to be pushed in the direction of the indicating arrow A depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2. A coil spring 55 maintains the cam follower roll in contact with the outer periphery of cam 54 by being attached at one end to that point 48 where the connecting link 46 and the inner end of the cam follower member 47 are attached one to the other. The opposite end of this spring attaches to a spring bracket 56 that assembles 'on the filling control housing 15 adjacent to the guide block 50.

The reciprocating movement of the cam follower and the connecting link attached thereto causes the thread guide 39 to pivot first in one direction and then the other to move the guide plate 43 toward and thence away from the castellated end of the filling storage cone 32. The motion is adapted to function in timed sequence with the insertion and withdrawal of the inserting carrier from the warp shed.

In operation, the filling is Withdrawn from the supply cone 27 disposed at the side of the loom. It is first directed through a grommet or guiding eyelet 57 which is normally disposed in the central portion of a filling supply shield but for the purpose of clarity has been illustrated suspended by an elongated arm bracket 58. The filling is then caused to pass through the centrally disposed grommet 44 of the pivotable thread guide 39 and thence through the spring biased friction plates 22 and 23 to that point where in a known manner it is cut, clamped, and picked up by the inserting carrier and projected into the warp shed. When the inserting carrier reverses its direction of travel to be withdrawn from the shed, cam 54 is timed to move the cam follower 47 and connecting link 46 attached thereto in the direction of the indicating arrow C (FIGS. 1 and 2). This motion causes the pivotable thread guide 39 to pivot in an anticlockwise direction as seen looking from the top thereof to swing the guide plate 43 into close proximity with the castellations 37 of the storage cone 32. The latter is continuously moving in the direction of the indicating arrow B (FIGS. 1 and 2) and preferably at a speed greater than that of the looms cam shaft. When the guide plate is moved toward the storage cone, the filling thread which is guided through the centrally disposed grommet of said guide plate is picked up by one of the plurality of castellations disposed about the small end of the cone (FIG. 2) and a substantial portion of the next pick is then wrapped on said cone. FIGS. 1 and 2 show the storage cone 32 to be rotating in a clockwise direction as depicted by arrow B. It should be understood that this cone could be set up to rotate in an anticlockwise direction and it would be equally effective in the performance of its intended function.

The mechanism of the instant invention is unaffected by any changes in the reeded width of a loom, or in other words, the storage cone will always furnish the required amount of filling independent of any change that might possibly be made to change the width of the fabric to be woven.

The castellations or circumferentially spaced projections 37 are tapered at their outer ends (FIG. 3) to facilitate the pick up and release of the filling thread on and from the storage cone. When the carrier again picks up the filling to project it into the shed, the pivotable thread guide is timed to swing outwardly away from the storage cone. As the inserting carrier travels into the shed, it first withdraws all the filling from the storage cone which amounts to a substantial portion of the pick, and completes the pick by withdrawing the filling directly from the supply cone 27 at the side of the loom. This cycle -is then repeated as the carrier reverses its direction of travel to be withdrawn from the shed. This filling furnishing mechanism is equally effective when applied to shuttleless looms of the type in which filling yarn from an outside source of supply is inserted in successively formed warp sheds as hairpins, that is to say, the filling drawn from its source of supply is different at the first pick of the hairpin as compared to that drawn for the second pick. In such looms the withdrawal of filling from its source is even and substantially continuous and the storage cone is unaffected by the difference in length of material drawn from the supply at different picks.

While one embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, it is to be understood that the inventive concept may be carried out in a number of ways. This invention is, therefore, not to be limited to the precise details described, but is intended to embrace all variations and modifications thereof falling within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claims.

We claim:

1. In a loom having at least one reciprocable carrier by means of which filling yarn from an outside, stationary source of supply is introduced into sheds formed by warp threads, the improvement which comprises a continuously rotatable filling storage device disposed intermediate said sheds and said source of supply, driving means for efiecting continuous rotation of said device at a predetermined speed, a pivotable filling yarn guide member movable in an axial direction with respect to one end of said storage device, and a driving cam effective to move said guide member toward and away from said storage device to effect wrapping of a portion of each filling length on said device and the complete withdrawal therefrom in timed sequence with the insertion and withdrawal of said carrier from said sheds.

2. The mechanism according to claim 1 wherein said filling storage device comprises a tapered cone member, and filling yarn trapping projections formed in said one end of said storage device adapted to cooperate with said guide member in the wrapping of filling yarn on said cone.

3. The mechanism according to claim 2 wherein said pivotable filling yarn guide includes a centrally disposed grommet disposed in axial alignment with said tapered cone member for movement away from and into close proximity with said yarn trapping projections.

4. The mechanism according to claim 2 wherein said yarn trapping projections are tapered at their outer ends to facilitate the pick up and release of the filling thread by said tapered cone member.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner.

DONALD W. PARKER, Examiner.

J. KEE CHI, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A LOOM HAVING AT LEAST ON RECIROCABLE CARRIER BY MEANS OF WHICH FILLING YARN FROM AN OUTSIDE, STATIONARY SOURCE OF SUPPLY IS INTRODUCED INTO SHEDS FORMED BY WARP THREADS, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES A CONTINUOUSLY ROTATABLY FILLING STORAGE DEVICE DISPOSED INTERMEDIATE SAID SHEDS AND SAID SOURCE OF SUPPLY, DRIVING MEANS FOR EFFECTING CONTINUOUS ROTATION OF SAID DEVICE AT A PREDETERMINED SPEED, A PIVOTABLE FILLING YARN GUIDE MEMBER MOVABLE IN AN AXIAL DIRECTION WITH RESPECT TO ONE END OF SAID STORAGE DEVICE, AND A DRIVING CAM EFFECTIVE TO MOVE SAID GUIDE MEMBER TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID STORAGE DEVICE TO EFFECT WRAPPING OF A PORTION OF EACH FILLING LENGTH ON SAID DEVICE AND THE COMPLETE WITHDRAWAL THEREFROM IN TIMED SEQUENCE WITH THE INSERTION AND WITHDRAWAL OF SAID CARRIER FROM SAID SHEDS. 